So that's a wrap for 2016's running, and while I didn't run nearly as much as I'd hoped for, I feel like my runs were quality over quantity. I've been switching over to almost all trail running from roads, and unless it's a run with friends or for some special reason, I really just prefer trails! In fact, I closed out the year with back-to-back 10-milers on wet, icy trails with friends on this holiday weekend.
I was fortunate enough to be able to do some minor traveling for races, and the plan is for that to continue into the New Year! I've already entered (and booked lodging for) every big race I'm planning for? Already??? Yup, all the way through late September, my dance card is full, including a Skyrace and a 100-miler :)
So...here's some quick stats to sum up 2016:
Miles: 1197 vs. 1022 last year (Way low, hoping to fix that)
Runs: 233
Hours run: 236
Elevation gain: 126,299' vs. 68,402 last year (Very proud of this number! When you consider that almost all my running is on hilly, technical trails, getting this amount of vertical gain on such a low number of miles is pretty cool. It's also way higher than any other year by a longshot!)
Races: 18 (6 road, 12 trail) - 8 less than 2015. Every road race I did was for a specific reason (RD is a friend, great cause, etc), and I'll continue that trend for the coming year. Otherwise, it's all trails!
Longest race: 50 miles. The Cayuga Trails 50 was my first 50-mile attempt, and I did it! It was very warm, and a long day with many DNFs, but once I got through the mile 37.5 aid station, I knew I had it locked in. Awesome day on a beautiful course, made new friends, drank from a waterfall mid-race, and the volunteers were incredible! Already signed up again, and now I know what to expect...
Toughest race: Kismet Cliff "Beast of the East" 1/2 Marathon. Almost 5,000' of technical climbing, it kicked my ass, and caused me to withdraw from my next two races. Brutal!
Best performance: Breakneck Point? Another tough race, I managed 3:37 for the 1/2 Marathon, with 4500'+ feet of climbing. Felt really good at this race, and comfortable with the terrain...
Worst performance: Ghost Train 100. I went in undertrained, didn't judge the conditions right, and it all fell to shit after mile 20. I made it to 45 miles and pulled the plug. Not a good day, although I did meet some really cool people and got to see my friend Claire destroy the course!
Sooo....
Predictions for 2017:
1500+ miles. Needs to happen.
Sub 6:00 mile. Maybe? I've been close, but not in a while.
Sub 20:00 5k. Have to check this box, I've been close enough that it has to happen.
7 Sisters sub 3:00. Yes.
CT50 Course PR. It's a go!
Complete first 100 mile race...not giving up on this, I know I can do it...
I've also spaced out my races enough to allow for recovery, and scheduled everything accordingly. Gonna be smarter about training! (Beth rolls eyes, says "yeah, right!")
Race tomorrow!
---Crutch
Saturday, December 31, 2016
Monday, December 12, 2016
Coolin' Things Down: Week of 12-5 to 12-11
We're about to get a nice swift blast of cold air this weekend, to wake us from the sweet slumber of a mild season thus far. I'm hoping that my workload drops off soon (sometime before Christmas would be nice)! Right now we have three separate jobs going in three different towns, and I never know where we're going until that morning...and we finish up late enough that I'll either have to start running with a headlamp, or force myself to use the treadmi...never mind, that ain't happening...
Monday - 0.
Tuesday - 9 Miles. Run from the Jealous Monk to Enders Island (where there's actual monks?) and back, Mystic. Monk2Monk2Monk run! Our job materials came in damaged, so an impromptu shortened day called for making the most of the time I had! Kind of a novelty run, but fun nonetheless, and included a trail section at the beginning and end of the run. Great day for it as well :)
Wednesday - 0.
Thursday - 6+ Miles. Westerly run with Paul G. Met up at the Y and ran with Paul, and even persuaded him to hit a short section of trail midway! Awesome day, and as we were both lacking motivation, I'm glad we got out there!
Friday - 0.
Saturday - 11 Miles. Cockaponsett trails with Eric and Faith. Cold, but great run with these guys! Eric and I are partners in crime for the Yeti race in September, and I may be pacing Faith at the Vermont 100...
Sunday - 0.
Monday - 0.
Tuesday - 9 Miles. Run from the Jealous Monk to Enders Island (where there's actual monks?) and back, Mystic. Monk2Monk2Monk run! Our job materials came in damaged, so an impromptu shortened day called for making the most of the time I had! Kind of a novelty run, but fun nonetheless, and included a trail section at the beginning and end of the run. Great day for it as well :)
Wednesday - 0.
Thursday - 6+ Miles. Westerly run with Paul G. Met up at the Y and ran with Paul, and even persuaded him to hit a short section of trail midway! Awesome day, and as we were both lacking motivation, I'm glad we got out there!
Friday - 0.
Saturday - 11 Miles. Cockaponsett trails with Eric and Faith. Cold, but great run with these guys! Eric and I are partners in crime for the Yeti race in September, and I may be pacing Faith at the Vermont 100...
Sunday - 0.
Monday, December 5, 2016
RI 6hr Ultramarathon, Li'l Rhody Runaround, and other Odds and Ends
Behind on the blog? I know I'm not the only one! This is quick, somewhat disjointed recap of the last month or so, and my work schedule is really wrecking my game at the moment, lots of demolitions and long days. Too busy right now...not liking it at all, the jobs are stacking up (3 active jobsites right now), and something's gotta give.
RI 6hr: I'm pretty sure this was the most fun I've had at this race, and I always have fun at this race! The forecast was good, but ended up perfect. My fitness level is in a plateau right now, but who really cares? I'm not injured, just busy. I'm doing these races for fun, with friends, and I still managed to bang out almost 30 miles under the cutoff. I also brought my stash of fancy beers to swap and give away to people, which always adds extra fun to the event!
I arrived early and got checked in, and chatted with a bunch of friends (and swapped beers) before realizing I needed to suit up and get my gear stowed along the race path. I had a bag with extra changes of shirts, hats, and gloves (I used them all this time!), as well as a cooler packed with Tailwind-mixed water bottles (used them all as well).
My friends Nicole and Adam were doing the race as their first Ultramarathon attempt, and I was happy that they were giving it a go, and slightly stressed that I may have talked them into it...but I was excited for them! It's kind of a big deal to do something like this. Saw Nicole, checked in with her and she was pumped up for the race. Looked for Adam, and found him right before the horn sounded. He was excited and said he was totally undertrained for the race, as was I, but what the Hell, why not give it a go, right?
Leslie brought a crew from 603 Racing to compete in the relay, and Steve B. rounded up a group from Rhode Runner, which meant there were gonna be lots of fast people flying by the solo runners. Awesome!
After race director Bob Jackman addressed the crowd, the solo runners and first wave of relay runners were off! I started toward the back, and found myself anxious to get moving, so I sped up and around bunches of people, and fell in quickly with TNT friend Jake, who was the only runner in the field who'd done all eight years of the race! We chatted, and although we were moving much faster than my target pace (or his, he had a spreadsheet with target times), I felt good and we stayed together for the first three loops, about 8 miles.
After that? I peeled off, as Jake was on a mission, and cruised loops 4-5. Friend and TNT runner Rachel had texted me about pacing, and was able to join me for loops 6 through 9, which was a huge lifesaver, as my legs were not at all happy with my starting pace. She was very patient, and after running 4 loops with me, I was on my own to close it out. Got through lap 10, and going out for lap 11 I knew I was gonna be done, and probably wouldn't have time anyway for #12. So I got 29.7-ish miles in 5:44, pretty respectable!
Adam did awesome, and finished his first Ultra well, as did Nicole, who I got to see right after she crossed the finish line, realized she was at 29.7 miles, and did another .3 to get an even 30. Nice work, so proud of how far she's come!
Rhode Runner won the relay, with the 603 finishing second. Fast runners on both teams!
And that's it! The last 6hr, but I'm sure there's something in the works to take its place...
The following week, I did some short runs at Yawgoog and Lantern Hill, leading up to the Li'l Rhody race. I'd decided to not "race" the race, but rather run it with friends and enjoy the time at the event...
25th Annual Li'l Rhody Runaround: I showed up to a chilly, windy morning, and quickly chatted with a number of friends, exchanged some beer, and meandered about. Got changed up right before the race, and lined up in a sea of blaze orange! Cruised the course with friends instead of racing, had a great time, and helped out with cleanup afterward. 8 Miles in 1:23, or something like that? Totally enjoyable run, and fun afterparty at Jonny's house! O'Dell even brought growlers of fancy beer from the 603!
Friday, 11-25 - 2.5 Miles. Yawgoog out/back. My #OptOutside run. Having worked retail and customer service industry jobs for years, I have no intention of ever going near a mall on the weekend after Thanksgiving. 'Nuff said.
Saturday, 11-26 - 11+ Miles. Metacomet Madness run with Russ and Niki, Simsbury. Russ and Niki invited me to run with them, and as I'd never run with them before, I made sure I was there! A great 11+ miles in the misty, cool air, very hilly and technical, sometimes rainy and lots of fun. Totally worth the trip, can't wait for the next one!
Sunday, 11-27 - 9 Miles. Yawgoog/Green Falls Birthday run with Joe, Faith and Jim H. Gorgeous, chilly morning for a birthday run, and we had a muddy blast on the trails out there!
Planning on getting out for a run on 12/6, as I'm currently on one of the longest forced breaks I've had since I started running! Even the weekends have been jammed with family obligations, holiday stuff, etc...This is bullshit, I'm not even injured! I'll see you cats out on the trails :)
RI 6hr: I'm pretty sure this was the most fun I've had at this race, and I always have fun at this race! The forecast was good, but ended up perfect. My fitness level is in a plateau right now, but who really cares? I'm not injured, just busy. I'm doing these races for fun, with friends, and I still managed to bang out almost 30 miles under the cutoff. I also brought my stash of fancy beers to swap and give away to people, which always adds extra fun to the event!
I arrived early and got checked in, and chatted with a bunch of friends (and swapped beers) before realizing I needed to suit up and get my gear stowed along the race path. I had a bag with extra changes of shirts, hats, and gloves (I used them all this time!), as well as a cooler packed with Tailwind-mixed water bottles (used them all as well).
My friends Nicole and Adam were doing the race as their first Ultramarathon attempt, and I was happy that they were giving it a go, and slightly stressed that I may have talked them into it...but I was excited for them! It's kind of a big deal to do something like this. Saw Nicole, checked in with her and she was pumped up for the race. Looked for Adam, and found him right before the horn sounded. He was excited and said he was totally undertrained for the race, as was I, but what the Hell, why not give it a go, right?
Leslie brought a crew from 603 Racing to compete in the relay, and Steve B. rounded up a group from Rhode Runner, which meant there were gonna be lots of fast people flying by the solo runners. Awesome!
After race director Bob Jackman addressed the crowd, the solo runners and first wave of relay runners were off! I started toward the back, and found myself anxious to get moving, so I sped up and around bunches of people, and fell in quickly with TNT friend Jake, who was the only runner in the field who'd done all eight years of the race! We chatted, and although we were moving much faster than my target pace (or his, he had a spreadsheet with target times), I felt good and we stayed together for the first three loops, about 8 miles.
After that? I peeled off, as Jake was on a mission, and cruised loops 4-5. Friend and TNT runner Rachel had texted me about pacing, and was able to join me for loops 6 through 9, which was a huge lifesaver, as my legs were not at all happy with my starting pace. She was very patient, and after running 4 loops with me, I was on my own to close it out. Got through lap 10, and going out for lap 11 I knew I was gonna be done, and probably wouldn't have time anyway for #12. So I got 29.7-ish miles in 5:44, pretty respectable!
Adam did awesome, and finished his first Ultra well, as did Nicole, who I got to see right after she crossed the finish line, realized she was at 29.7 miles, and did another .3 to get an even 30. Nice work, so proud of how far she's come!
Rhode Runner won the relay, with the 603 finishing second. Fast runners on both teams!
And that's it! The last 6hr, but I'm sure there's something in the works to take its place...
The following week, I did some short runs at Yawgoog and Lantern Hill, leading up to the Li'l Rhody race. I'd decided to not "race" the race, but rather run it with friends and enjoy the time at the event...
25th Annual Li'l Rhody Runaround: I showed up to a chilly, windy morning, and quickly chatted with a number of friends, exchanged some beer, and meandered about. Got changed up right before the race, and lined up in a sea of blaze orange! Cruised the course with friends instead of racing, had a great time, and helped out with cleanup afterward. 8 Miles in 1:23, or something like that? Totally enjoyable run, and fun afterparty at Jonny's house! O'Dell even brought growlers of fancy beer from the 603!
Friday, 11-25 - 2.5 Miles. Yawgoog out/back. My #OptOutside run. Having worked retail and customer service industry jobs for years, I have no intention of ever going near a mall on the weekend after Thanksgiving. 'Nuff said.
Saturday, 11-26 - 11+ Miles. Metacomet Madness run with Russ and Niki, Simsbury. Russ and Niki invited me to run with them, and as I'd never run with them before, I made sure I was there! A great 11+ miles in the misty, cool air, very hilly and technical, sometimes rainy and lots of fun. Totally worth the trip, can't wait for the next one!
Sunday, 11-27 - 9 Miles. Yawgoog/Green Falls Birthday run with Joe, Faith and Jim H. Gorgeous, chilly morning for a birthday run, and we had a muddy blast on the trails out there!
Planning on getting out for a run on 12/6, as I'm currently on one of the longest forced breaks I've had since I started running! Even the weekends have been jammed with family obligations, holiday stuff, etc...This is bullshit, I'm not even injured! I'll see you cats out on the trails :)
Monday, November 7, 2016
Post Ghost: 10-23 to 11-6
Post Ghost Train, I've been able to get back into a routine of sorts, and it's getting to where I'd hoped. The jobsites are closer, which means less travel, and I've forced the issue with getting my activity time in. If you can't set aside 30 minutes to an hour out of the day to do something that you truly enjoy, then maybe it's time to re-prioritize...and that's what I did.
I also signed up for the CT50 again. Loved the race, loved the venue, and I'll be much more prepared. Plan on shaving several hours off my '16 time.
So here's some pics from the days since Ghost Train! Have been having fun exploring new places, running with friends and solo, all on trails, and have at least one big run coming up before the final RI 6hr Ultra on 11/13. All good things...
10-25 - 3 Miles. DPNC trail leg tester. Everything appears to be functional!
10-26 - 2.6 Miles. Pine Swamp Corridor Preserve, Ledyard. Shitty power line trail gave way to some nifty singletrack, and right up the street from our newest jobsite.
10-29 - 12 Miles. Groton X-Town trail out/back with Faith. Great day for a longish run, and we managed to do the entire trail out and back with no wrong turns! Huzzah!
10-30 - 2.4 Miles. Green Falls Pond loop. Just a short loop around the pond, and pushed it in the gorge to/from the dam.
10-31 - 7 Miles. Halloween Run, The Preserve, Essex. Had heard about this 1,000+ acre preserve, not far off I-95, and decided to give it a look with Faith. What a great place with some really nice, well-marked trails, totally runnable and scenic, and just awesome. Can't wait to get over there again!
11-1 - 3.3 Miles. Lantern Hill. More fun on Lantern Hill!
11-2 - 5.1 Miles. Lantern Hill. Even more Lantern! Lots of people out enjoying some beautiful Fall weather.
11-3 - 6 Miles. Woody Hill lunch w/Jeff. Crisp and cool, and a brisk pace (for me, anyway) in Woody Hill. I'm actually starting to know where the Hell I am in there!
11-5 - 0 Miles. Bought a new truck! No more blue F-150, now it's a black F-150!
11-6 - 25 Miles. Goodwin Trail. The whole 4-town trail out (and back), starting from the East Haddam end. Faith and I had decided to run this, and she invited the Bimblers group, but Michele was the only one who could make it. She was running late, but started at the East Lyme end and ran out to meet us, and ran us back to that lot, where we reloaded our hydration packs, ate some food, and set out back toward the other end. Great trail, and we saw lots of people during the day!
I also signed up for the CT50 again. Loved the race, loved the venue, and I'll be much more prepared. Plan on shaving several hours off my '16 time.
So here's some pics from the days since Ghost Train! Have been having fun exploring new places, running with friends and solo, all on trails, and have at least one big run coming up before the final RI 6hr Ultra on 11/13. All good things...
10-25 - 3 Miles. DPNC trail leg tester. Everything appears to be functional!
10-26 - 2.6 Miles. Pine Swamp Corridor Preserve, Ledyard. Shitty power line trail gave way to some nifty singletrack, and right up the street from our newest jobsite.
A technical section of the trail, haha :)
Avalonia trails!
10-29 - 12 Miles. Groton X-Town trail out/back with Faith. Great day for a longish run, and we managed to do the entire trail out and back with no wrong turns! Huzzah!
10-30 - 2.4 Miles. Green Falls Pond loop. Just a short loop around the pond, and pushed it in the gorge to/from the dam.
10-31 - 7 Miles. Halloween Run, The Preserve, Essex. Had heard about this 1,000+ acre preserve, not far off I-95, and decided to give it a look with Faith. What a great place with some really nice, well-marked trails, totally runnable and scenic, and just awesome. Can't wait to get over there again!
Trailside on Samhain. Very cool!
Mossy trail in the Sun
Trail map. We covered most of the marked trails, but there are 20+ miles there to explore!
11-1 - 3.3 Miles. Lantern Hill. More fun on Lantern Hill!
11-2 - 5.1 Miles. Lantern Hill. Even more Lantern! Lots of people out enjoying some beautiful Fall weather.
Still some great color!
Lantern Hill Pond
Foxwoods in the distance
To the North...
...and the South
11-3 - 6 Miles. Woody Hill lunch w/Jeff. Crisp and cool, and a brisk pace (for me, anyway) in Woody Hill. I'm actually starting to know where the Hell I am in there!
11-5 - 0 Miles. Bought a new truck! No more blue F-150, now it's a black F-150!
Back in Black...
11-6 - 25 Miles. Goodwin Trail. The whole 4-town trail out (and back), starting from the East Haddam end. Faith and I had decided to run this, and she invited the Bimblers group, but Michele was the only one who could make it. She was running late, but started at the East Lyme end and ran out to meet us, and ran us back to that lot, where we reloaded our hydration packs, ate some food, and set out back toward the other end. Great trail, and we saw lots of people during the day!
All in!
Rocks!
Cliffs!
Critchlery!
8 Mile River...Lose Yourself!
Thursday, October 27, 2016
Getting My Ticket Punched on the Ghost Train
This is New England. The weather can change in a minute, hour, day...and I should know that by now. That said, here's a recap of my first 100 mile attempt:
So I'd suffered the ill effects of peer pressure (again) and thrown my name on the wait list for the Ghost Train 100-miler, because fuck it, if I'm gonna sign up for a race like this, then I might as well be in for all of it! Then I got in. Whoops. I was excited and apprehensive at the same time. I even swore off beer for two weeks ahead of the race!
My mileage has been low and my work schedule crazy, but I thought I'd start slow and just cruise and see how things played out. We had tickets to a comedy show the night before, but we went right home after, got 6 hours' sleep, and I got up early to make the 2-hour drive to Southern New Hampshire for the race.
When I arrived, Claire and John G. had already set up a big tent and all their gear close to the starting line, and let me stow my things there. Claire was attempting her first 100, along with another friend of theirs (also named Mike). He and I chatted about goals, and he was looking for a faster pace than I was, so I wished him luck and said I'd see him out there. The forecast was for wind and rain later in the day, but everything was surprisingly calm before the 9 a.m. start, aside from the nervous energy of 400 runners getting ready for the day. Seasoned distance runners and novice trail runners alike, all signed on for distances of 30, 45, 60, 75 or 100 miles. Lots of excitement! Tents lined the main drag at the start/finish, food was cooking in big pots, people had crews supporting them, there was a Yeti...
I opted for shorts and a t-shirt at the start, and tied a windbreaker around my waist just in case. After a few words by RD Steven Latour, we were off! I started jogging, and felt like most everyone was falling back quickly. Claire went right out to the front pack of about 8 runners, and I settled in next to other Mike. The pace was faster than I was hoping to start out at, but I told him I'd bank some time and then fall back. I ended up staying with him for the first 15 miles, which took 2:30. Maybe shouldn't have done that.
I changed clothes quickly at the turnaround, put on a compression shirt under my t-shirt, and grabbed a cotton pullover as an extra layer, as the rain wasn't supposed to start until later? I was already slowing down at this point. A light drizzle at about mile 18 turned into a soaking rain at mile 20, and suddenly I was drenched, and alternating between a walk and a jog. Many other people were as well, but my motivation was starting to wane as a chill set into me. I got cold, really cold. My friend John was on his way up from RI to pace me, and I texted him when I reached the 30-mile turnaround, to tell him not to bother making the trip. He was 15 minutes away, I changed clothes and got back out there...
All I can say about miles 31-45 is that as I got passed by a steady stream of runners, I had plenty of time to ponder all the reasons I wasn't going to finish 100 miles. I was way undertrained for this race and this distance, and hadn't done any runs of any signifigance since Cayuga. I went out too fast at the start, banking time but wiping it all out later. In spite of bringing plenty of rainproof gear, I put it on after I got wet and cold, after it was too late to have any positive effect. I stopped drinking beer! Anyway, I'd brought my phone on this loop, and sent John a message that I was dropping when I got back to camp. He suited up, ran out on the course to find me, and walked me in. Good friend. Tried to talk me into continuing, and I was having none of it. My lower shins were really bothering me at this point, never had that before? John joked with me, chatted and got me back to the start/finish, where I pulled the plug. 45 miles in 11:19 officially. It was dark, the wind had picked up, and I packed my gear and headed out.
Claire, on the other hand, crushed it. First 100, first female and third overall in 17:15, took 1:48 off the women's course record and had the 5th fastest time in the race's history! Way to go Claire!!! And the overall winner, who was flying effortlessly along the course, smiling and offering words of encouragement? Patrick Caron, 19 years old, winning in 14:51. Holy crap that's fast.
The race directors say that there are no DNF's at Ghost Train, but I signed up for 100 and did 45, so I'm calling it what it is. After having a few days to think about it, I know what I did wrong, what I need to do to have a good performance at a race like this, and whether my current schedule is going to allow for it. So it's back to the drawing board. My first couple of runs after this race were great. Short trail runs with no pressure, and I felt good!
Oddly enough, my next race is the final installment of the RI 6hr Ultra, and my 4th time running it. Trying to beat 32.4 miles. Lots of friends scheduled to race that day, should be awesome!!! Until then, gonna run and enjoy the changing weather as we transition from Fall to Winter.
So I'd suffered the ill effects of peer pressure (again) and thrown my name on the wait list for the Ghost Train 100-miler, because fuck it, if I'm gonna sign up for a race like this, then I might as well be in for all of it! Then I got in. Whoops. I was excited and apprehensive at the same time. I even swore off beer for two weeks ahead of the race!
My mileage has been low and my work schedule crazy, but I thought I'd start slow and just cruise and see how things played out. We had tickets to a comedy show the night before, but we went right home after, got 6 hours' sleep, and I got up early to make the 2-hour drive to Southern New Hampshire for the race.
When I arrived, Claire and John G. had already set up a big tent and all their gear close to the starting line, and let me stow my things there. Claire was attempting her first 100, along with another friend of theirs (also named Mike). He and I chatted about goals, and he was looking for a faster pace than I was, so I wished him luck and said I'd see him out there. The forecast was for wind and rain later in the day, but everything was surprisingly calm before the 9 a.m. start, aside from the nervous energy of 400 runners getting ready for the day. Seasoned distance runners and novice trail runners alike, all signed on for distances of 30, 45, 60, 75 or 100 miles. Lots of excitement! Tents lined the main drag at the start/finish, food was cooking in big pots, people had crews supporting them, there was a Yeti...
I opted for shorts and a t-shirt at the start, and tied a windbreaker around my waist just in case. After a few words by RD Steven Latour, we were off! I started jogging, and felt like most everyone was falling back quickly. Claire went right out to the front pack of about 8 runners, and I settled in next to other Mike. The pace was faster than I was hoping to start out at, but I told him I'd bank some time and then fall back. I ended up staying with him for the first 15 miles, which took 2:30. Maybe shouldn't have done that.
I changed clothes quickly at the turnaround, put on a compression shirt under my t-shirt, and grabbed a cotton pullover as an extra layer, as the rain wasn't supposed to start until later? I was already slowing down at this point. A light drizzle at about mile 18 turned into a soaking rain at mile 20, and suddenly I was drenched, and alternating between a walk and a jog. Many other people were as well, but my motivation was starting to wane as a chill set into me. I got cold, really cold. My friend John was on his way up from RI to pace me, and I texted him when I reached the 30-mile turnaround, to tell him not to bother making the trip. He was 15 minutes away, I changed clothes and got back out there...
All I can say about miles 31-45 is that as I got passed by a steady stream of runners, I had plenty of time to ponder all the reasons I wasn't going to finish 100 miles. I was way undertrained for this race and this distance, and hadn't done any runs of any signifigance since Cayuga. I went out too fast at the start, banking time but wiping it all out later. In spite of bringing plenty of rainproof gear, I put it on after I got wet and cold, after it was too late to have any positive effect. I stopped drinking beer! Anyway, I'd brought my phone on this loop, and sent John a message that I was dropping when I got back to camp. He suited up, ran out on the course to find me, and walked me in. Good friend. Tried to talk me into continuing, and I was having none of it. My lower shins were really bothering me at this point, never had that before? John joked with me, chatted and got me back to the start/finish, where I pulled the plug. 45 miles in 11:19 officially. It was dark, the wind had picked up, and I packed my gear and headed out.
Claire, on the other hand, crushed it. First 100, first female and third overall in 17:15, took 1:48 off the women's course record and had the 5th fastest time in the race's history! Way to go Claire!!! And the overall winner, who was flying effortlessly along the course, smiling and offering words of encouragement? Patrick Caron, 19 years old, winning in 14:51. Holy crap that's fast.
The race directors say that there are no DNF's at Ghost Train, but I signed up for 100 and did 45, so I'm calling it what it is. After having a few days to think about it, I know what I did wrong, what I need to do to have a good performance at a race like this, and whether my current schedule is going to allow for it. So it's back to the drawing board. My first couple of runs after this race were great. Short trail runs with no pressure, and I felt good!
Oddly enough, my next race is the final installment of the RI 6hr Ultra, and my 4th time running it. Trying to beat 32.4 miles. Lots of friends scheduled to race that day, should be awesome!!! Until then, gonna run and enjoy the changing weather as we transition from Fall to Winter.
Friday, October 14, 2016
Plowing ahead, and getting caught up! Weeks of 10-3 to 10-9 and 10-10 to 10-16
This should be interesting - legs are good, knees fine, and I'm getting yet another forced helping of low mileage in the weeks leading up to this ultra. I do know that once I settle into my "comfortable pace," I can pretty much just go and go and go, which is what I plan to do. It's all good! Just feed me from time to time, and I'll keep moving as long as I can!
Monday - 0 Miles.
Tuesday - 4 Miles. Walden Preserve, Salem. Two miles from my current jobsite, and a pretty nifty Nature Conservancy property. I set out on some grassland trails, which took some time to figure out as they went in 50 different directions! Finally hit some good single-track, and made my way to the Pierce Arrow trail, where I thought to myself, "Hey, there used to be an awesome touring car called the Pierce Arrow," then came around a turn to find this:
Continuing on, I made my way to the two scenic ponds that tie this property together, which are really gorgeous and contain active beaver lodges:
Monday - 0 Miles.
Tuesday - 4 Miles. Walden Preserve, Salem. Two miles from my current jobsite, and a pretty nifty Nature Conservancy property. I set out on some grassland trails, which took some time to figure out as they went in 50 different directions! Finally hit some good single-track, and made my way to the Pierce Arrow trail, where I thought to myself, "Hey, there used to be an awesome touring car called the Pierce Arrow," then came around a turn to find this:
Pierce Arrow!
Continuing on, I made my way to the two scenic ponds that tie this property together, which are really gorgeous and contain active beaver lodges:
I covered about 20% of the trails here, from what I can tell. Some very well marked, some not at all, and the Pierce Arrow trail was very overgrown but totally worth the effort!
Wednesday - Friday - 0 Miles.
Saturday - 13.1 Miles. Course Marking, Warmup, Run For the Pumpkins Race, Course Clearing. #67 of 126. Perfect trail race weather! I arrived early to help mark the course, with the thought of just starting my watch and letting it run until we were finished. Great turnout and a really fun course, and I ended up getting 4 loops of the 5k course in, plus some extra, for a total of 13.1.
Sunday - 0 Miles.
Monday - 6.2 Miles. Groton X-Town trail with Faith. Great time on this trail system. We dropped a car on on end and drove to the other, and had a great run in cool, breezy weather. We're gonna have to talk BLS into joining us for this one soon!
Tuesday - 6.3 Miles. Airline Trail, Colchester. Awesome rail trail line that runs through a bunch of towns, is very well marked, and lots of people were out enjoying the crisp Fall weather and changing leaves. Turned into a progression run for me, unintentionally. Just felt too good not to!
Wednesday - Thursday - 0 Miles.
Friday - 4 Miles (Surf!) - K38/39, Point Judith RI. Thanks, Hurricane Nicole, for bringing perfect chest-high surf and offshore winds to Rhode Island! Caught 25 waves in 2 hours, according to my Strava data, and I'm torn between getting a run in tomorrow or milking the last bit of this swell for all it's worth...
The "K", bright and breezy and uncrowded...
...and the new trail shoes I won in the Kismet Cliff raffle came in! La Sportiva Bushido model, can't wait to try them out!
New trail shoes! Winner winner!!!
Saturday - 2 Miles. Testing out the new shoes at Lantern Hill. While they may be a bit snug, and I'd probably trade up a 1/2 size, I'm gonna give the Bushido model from La Sportiva a big thumbs-up. They felt sturdy, grippy and otherwise well-suited to the technical terrain that I enjoy. Great shoes!
Sunday - 8-ish miles. Borderlands Dark Sky Trail N-S with Jim. Dropped a car at the Canonchet Preserve trailhead, and drove to the state line, where the Narragansett blue-blazed trail merges with the yellow-blazed trail portion in Rhode Island. Easy pace, and I needed to stay there, although I'd love to try this section of trail again at a much harder pace after next week. Aside from the 1/2 mile or so of Long/Ell Pond, it's very runnable...aside from that, I told Jim it was 5.5-6 miles, and it ended up being almost 8, and his longest run ever? Sorry (not sorry), Jim! Hey, the weather was perfect and the foliage is awesome, so the longer the better. Ha!
Saturday, October 1, 2016
Post-Kismet Crash n' Burn: No Catnip for You!
Not gonna lie, Kismet Cliff did a number on me. Even my recovery after the Cayuga 50 was much better, and while the fatigue in my legs (and especially my knees, in particular the right one) has improved, I can still feel it. I can't pin it on one thing, but I do know that my knees got really achy after the descent off North Moat. All the pounding coming down could have had something to do with it? Either way, something got messed up. Ain't nobody got time for that!
So I took the whole week off, withdrew from Nipmuck early in the week with hopes of salvaging the Cat's Tail race, but the work week culminated in me pulling out of that as well. I just didn't feel like it was a possibility. Better to stay local and ease back into some light trail runs here...
Monday - Wednesday - 0.
Thursday - 10.5 (Bike) - Rode to pick up my truck at the shop. Fun! One gear! Realized afterwards that I only have one gear because the clip under the frame that holds the cables tight had broken, and the cables were just swaying in the breeze...whoops. That could have ended badly!
Friday - 0.
Saturday - 5 Miles. Goodwin Trail, East Lyme. Easy trail run with Faith and Eric G. Getting my legs working again felt good. Eric wanted some easy miles, as he's doing a 100-miler in PA next week, and Faith was getting a last shakeout before Nipmuck. Good run, easy pace, and a decent chunk of this newly connected 14-mile stretch of trail through 4 towns. Have to do the whole thing at some point!
Sunday - 4 Miles. Green Falls loop with Jim. Perfect weather, legs felt even better!
So I took the whole week off, withdrew from Nipmuck early in the week with hopes of salvaging the Cat's Tail race, but the work week culminated in me pulling out of that as well. I just didn't feel like it was a possibility. Better to stay local and ease back into some light trail runs here...
Monday - Wednesday - 0.
Thursday - 10.5 (Bike) - Rode to pick up my truck at the shop. Fun! One gear! Realized afterwards that I only have one gear because the clip under the frame that holds the cables tight had broken, and the cables were just swaying in the breeze...whoops. That could have ended badly!
Friday - 0.
Saturday - 5 Miles. Goodwin Trail, East Lyme. Easy trail run with Faith and Eric G. Getting my legs working again felt good. Eric wanted some easy miles, as he's doing a 100-miler in PA next week, and Faith was getting a last shakeout before Nipmuck. Good run, easy pace, and a decent chunk of this newly connected 14-mile stretch of trail through 4 towns. Have to do the whole thing at some point!
Sunday - 4 Miles. Green Falls loop with Jim. Perfect weather, legs felt even better!
Tuesday, September 27, 2016
2016 Kismet Cliff "Beast of the East" Trail Run
I'm going to start this recap on Friday afternoon, after I'd joined the family at the inaugural NoSto Festival in our town. Really cool little small town gathering. Perfect Fall weather, and a great time to be living in New England. I wasn't itching to get on the road, but knew I'd better be driving by 2 or it might really be a slog to get to Conway. Made a couple of errors getting ready.
First mistake: Lori's car was low on washer fluid, so as I was cleaning my truck to get it ready for the trip, I figured I'd fill the reservoir. Grabbed the big bottle of blue liquid, started pouring...and realized it was power washer concentrate for the house! Whoops...had to dilute it with water, run it dry (soapy!) and refill the tank.
Second mistake: Hastily getting my gear together. In my mad dash to get on the road, I forgot to pack two critical pieces of gear for a run in the White Mountains: gloves and a windbreaker. Dummy. More on that later...
So...I finally got on the road, with plans to meet friend, WTAC cohort and fast runner Rhody Seth at the Moat Brewhouse for drinks and dinner. Coming into Conway, I was gonna miss checking into my room before 6:30, so I went straight to Moat. I also texted local friends Ryan and Kristina to see if they were around. Ironically, Ryan was on North Moat flagging the course (and did a fantastic job, it needs saying...I didn't get lost!) in a headlamp, as the Sun was going down. They both said they'd meet us! Coolness.
Moat was packed! Didn't realize how crazy it got, but Seth got us seats, the food was good and the beer better. Ryan joined us for a drink, Kristina stopped by to say Hi, and I cruised back to the motel at 8:30, where I was treated to a G-Bot IPA and a showing of "The Empire Strikes Back."
I had Yoda's wisdom stuck in my head during the race:
So there's that...call me Skywalker!
Next morning, I wake up to cool temps, partly cloudy skies, and a brisk breeze blowing. I've forgotten crucial wardrobe items from my list. My hands always get cold first, it's Sunday and all the shops are closed. But I work construction, and there's a Home Depot in Conway! Ha! One set of Gorilla Grip gloves, and thin poncho and a contractor's trash bag later, and I'm ready for whatever comes at me!!!
I arrive way early to Echo Lake. Just a few people there, and the lot gradually fills up. Seth and I get checked in, and do a short warmup around Echo Lake. This race is very low-key, and pretty much every runner in the field looks fast and fit, even for the short 5-mile option. Except me. After RD Gabe Flanders gives a short directive, we start and I'm immediately at the back of the pack. As in last. There's only about 40-50 people total, so I think "OK, just do your own thing."
After a short cruise around Echo and some lower forest run, we turn and begin the ascent up Cathedral Ledge. A long, steep climb with peeks through the trees at a spectacular view across the valley and mountains. Basically, what I didn't see last year. I kept pausing to take it in, and it just kept getting better. After the Cathedral/White Horse ascent, we were offered a brief respite before the three-ish mile death march up North Moat Mountain. It just keeps going up. Last year, the fog kept tricking me. This year, I'd fallen in with two local women (Sherry and Katie) who hiked there all the time, and as you looked up Moat, you could see ever more rises and falls, and the summit way off in the distance.
Another runner named Frank joined us as we were getting to the top, and we all paused for a couple pictures. Awesome. The wind was whipping, though, and we got off the top quickly, and I put on my Gorilla Grip gloves on the way down. The trail was bone-dry, a totally different course from the previous year. Wow. We could actually run the downhill to the creek!
Now it was new friends Sherry, Katie and Frank, and we all worked together as a group, stopped together, and stayed together until the big turn back up White Horse. The ladies had a time goal in mind, so they pushed ahead. Frank and I were happy to just cruise the rest of the course, shoot the shit, and finished the race (run) together. Great new friends!
Course totals for my increasingly erratic Garmin: 12.8 miles, with 4,700+ feet of climbing, in a bit over 4 hours. Not my dream race, but I finished one of the toughest races on the East Coast, and I'm cool with that!
After the race I was greeted by Seth, who had kicked ass and turned in a 7th place finish in 2:40 in a very fast field, and informed me that I'd won a pair of La Sportiva running shoes in the raffle! Sweet!!! I picked the Bushido:
http://www.sportiva.com/products/footwear/mountain-running/bushido
Gabe and his crew put on a great race, a tough race, and I'll say it again: WAY too few runners for a race this badass. I can't believe that out of all the trail runners in New England, there are so few takers for this race. It's beautiful, brutal, and worth every minute!
I had a long drive ahead, so I called it a day and got on the road. I really like New Hampshire, the pace really seems like it fits me well, everybody is pretty laid-back and mostly seem to be there because of the incredible beauty of the area. We had hikers cheering us on during the race, and everyone I encountered was friendly. I really do need to get up there more often!!!
First mistake: Lori's car was low on washer fluid, so as I was cleaning my truck to get it ready for the trip, I figured I'd fill the reservoir. Grabbed the big bottle of blue liquid, started pouring...and realized it was power washer concentrate for the house! Whoops...had to dilute it with water, run it dry (soapy!) and refill the tank.
Second mistake: Hastily getting my gear together. In my mad dash to get on the road, I forgot to pack two critical pieces of gear for a run in the White Mountains: gloves and a windbreaker. Dummy. More on that later...
So...I finally got on the road, with plans to meet friend, WTAC cohort and fast runner Rhody Seth at the Moat Brewhouse for drinks and dinner. Coming into Conway, I was gonna miss checking into my room before 6:30, so I went straight to Moat. I also texted local friends Ryan and Kristina to see if they were around. Ironically, Ryan was on North Moat flagging the course (and did a fantastic job, it needs saying...I didn't get lost!) in a headlamp, as the Sun was going down. They both said they'd meet us! Coolness.
Moat was packed! Didn't realize how crazy it got, but Seth got us seats, the food was good and the beer better. Ryan joined us for a drink, Kristina stopped by to say Hi, and I cruised back to the motel at 8:30, where I was treated to a G-Bot IPA and a showing of "The Empire Strikes Back."
Use the Force, and the beer will come to you...
I had Yoda's wisdom stuck in my head during the race:
So there's that...call me Skywalker!
Next morning, I wake up to cool temps, partly cloudy skies, and a brisk breeze blowing. I've forgotten crucial wardrobe items from my list. My hands always get cold first, it's Sunday and all the shops are closed. But I work construction, and there's a Home Depot in Conway! Ha! One set of Gorilla Grip gloves, and thin poncho and a contractor's trash bag later, and I'm ready for whatever comes at me!!!
I arrive way early to Echo Lake. Just a few people there, and the lot gradually fills up. Seth and I get checked in, and do a short warmup around Echo Lake. This race is very low-key, and pretty much every runner in the field looks fast and fit, even for the short 5-mile option. Except me. After RD Gabe Flanders gives a short directive, we start and I'm immediately at the back of the pack. As in last. There's only about 40-50 people total, so I think "OK, just do your own thing."
Seth about to throw down. Cathedral, in the background, is the short first climb...
After a short cruise around Echo and some lower forest run, we turn and begin the ascent up Cathedral Ledge. A long, steep climb with peeks through the trees at a spectacular view across the valley and mountains. Basically, what I didn't see last year. I kept pausing to take it in, and it just kept getting better. After the Cathedral/White Horse ascent, we were offered a brief respite before the three-ish mile death march up North Moat Mountain. It just keeps going up. Last year, the fog kept tricking me. This year, I'd fallen in with two local women (Sherry and Katie) who hiked there all the time, and as you looked up Moat, you could see ever more rises and falls, and the summit way off in the distance.
Sherry and Katie
Frank!
Sherry and Katie
Wind was whipping up there, but the views are incredible
Now it was new friends Sherry, Katie and Frank, and we all worked together as a group, stopped together, and stayed together until the big turn back up White Horse. The ladies had a time goal in mind, so they pushed ahead. Frank and I were happy to just cruise the rest of the course, shoot the shit, and finished the race (run) together. Great new friends!
Course totals for my increasingly erratic Garmin: 12.8 miles, with 4,700+ feet of climbing, in a bit over 4 hours. Not my dream race, but I finished one of the toughest races on the East Coast, and I'm cool with that!
After the race I was greeted by Seth, who had kicked ass and turned in a 7th place finish in 2:40 in a very fast field, and informed me that I'd won a pair of La Sportiva running shoes in the raffle! Sweet!!! I picked the Bushido:
http://www.sportiva.com/products/footwear/mountain-running/bushido
Gabe and his crew put on a great race, a tough race, and I'll say it again: WAY too few runners for a race this badass. I can't believe that out of all the trail runners in New England, there are so few takers for this race. It's beautiful, brutal, and worth every minute!
I had a long drive ahead, so I called it a day and got on the road. I really like New Hampshire, the pace really seems like it fits me well, everybody is pretty laid-back and mostly seem to be there because of the incredible beauty of the area. We had hikers cheering us on during the race, and everyone I encountered was friendly. I really do need to get up there more often!!!
Tuesday, September 20, 2016
Week of 9-19 to 9-25: Kismet Cliff Week!
This should be fun...I'm at 95,000 feet of vertical gain in just over 860 miles for the year, which ain't easy when you live in Southeast CT. Most of that vert has been done on technical trails, which I just really enjoy, and anything that involves actual hand over hand climbing is icing on the cake. Gonna be over 100k by week's end, which obliterates my previous year's best (77,000 in 2014), with lots of running to go! That said, I really hope the weather is more conducive to an enjoyable race at Kismet Cliff this year, as last year's race was held in some sketchy conditions, and the gorgeous views were completely obscured by fog and sideways rain. So far, the forecast looks better for the weekend, but this is New England, sooo...Here's my short recap from last year and my DNF, the day before my bloodwork came back positive for Lyme:
9/13 - Kismet Cliff "Beast of the East" half marathon.
So here it is: I picked the perfect place to stay! The Colonial Motel in North Conway. Clean, helpful and friendly, and three minutes from the race start. Room was super clean, the staff helpful, and I was totally set.
I awoke to fog, 55 degrees, rain, and no sight whatsoever of the mountains I'd be running...
Arrived early to find a hardcore crew already set up. I grabbed my bib, saw Ryan and chatted with him for a bit, then spent time talking with Kristina, Tony, Lise, and some other awesome runners before the race began.
After the race start and a short run around Echo Lake, we all turn onto the Cathedral Ledge ascent, which is 400'-1500' and a flipping tease. After that? A short descent, then the nightmare ascent up North Moat. It was raining, it was foggy, it was slippery as Hell. I was alone for a long time (I can deal with being alone, but this wasn't fun!), and also wasn't aware that there are about a thousand false summits going up to the top. It just kept going up!
I was nearing one of those false summits, questioning my sanity and qualifications for even being there, when I heard a runner behind me, approaching fast. I shouted "Please tell me I'm not getting lapped!" He replied "If it helps, I was in second place and took a wrong turn..."
He scampered up the hill and out of sight, and I continued on, alone and in the rain. I was looking for a bright side at this point. I was pretty sure I was in last place, pre-hypothermic (it felt like it), and looking at a 4-hour half marathon time. What the Hell...
When I finally crested the actual summit of North Moat and began the descent, things got even more sketchy! Ryan had mentioned that that side of Moat never gets Sun, and was always "greasy," in his words, and it had rained all night. Imagine a slick granite slip n' slide that goes down for two miles, and you get the idea. I slid on my ass, bushwhacked alongside the trail, and moved as well as I could...until I rounded a curve and saw fast runner dude (Ryan K.) helping a girl down the mountain. Her name was Amber, and she'd rolled her ankle pretty bad. I did the right thing and stopped, and helped with getting her down the slippery descent. I'd thrown my cell phone into my CamelBak as an afterthought, and we pulled up the Race Director's number and called him to explain our situation. We arranged to have transportation meet us at the Diana's Baths area.
The next couple hours were us getting down to level ground, walking Amber to the bailout near the stream, and getting out. Friends Ryan and Kristina and a couple other runners met us and we hitched rides back to the start/finish, where I DNF'd, but for good reason. I'll be back next year, this race is badass and had far too few runners for what it was, which was, in the words of runner Tony, who I met at the start, "Everything the White Mountains has to offer in a race." 7 Sisters was a breeze compared to this race. Yes, I said it.
No soapbox moment here, but hey: people passed this runner, who was obviously in distress, and she was too polite to stop them during the race. If you see a runner who's slowed to a crawl, just a quick "How's it going?" may be enough for them to say "Not so hot." Then you stop and see if maybe they need help. All I'm saying...
9/13 - Kismet Cliff "Beast of the East" half marathon.
So here it is: I picked the perfect place to stay! The Colonial Motel in North Conway. Clean, helpful and friendly, and three minutes from the race start. Room was super clean, the staff helpful, and I was totally set.
I awoke to fog, 55 degrees, rain, and no sight whatsoever of the mountains I'd be running...
Arrived early to find a hardcore crew already set up. I grabbed my bib, saw Ryan and chatted with him for a bit, then spent time talking with Kristina, Tony, Lise, and some other awesome runners before the race began.
After the race start and a short run around Echo Lake, we all turn onto the Cathedral Ledge ascent, which is 400'-1500' and a flipping tease. After that? A short descent, then the nightmare ascent up North Moat. It was raining, it was foggy, it was slippery as Hell. I was alone for a long time (I can deal with being alone, but this wasn't fun!), and also wasn't aware that there are about a thousand false summits going up to the top. It just kept going up!
I was nearing one of those false summits, questioning my sanity and qualifications for even being there, when I heard a runner behind me, approaching fast. I shouted "Please tell me I'm not getting lapped!" He replied "If it helps, I was in second place and took a wrong turn..."
He scampered up the hill and out of sight, and I continued on, alone and in the rain. I was looking for a bright side at this point. I was pretty sure I was in last place, pre-hypothermic (it felt like it), and looking at a 4-hour half marathon time. What the Hell...
When I finally crested the actual summit of North Moat and began the descent, things got even more sketchy! Ryan had mentioned that that side of Moat never gets Sun, and was always "greasy," in his words, and it had rained all night. Imagine a slick granite slip n' slide that goes down for two miles, and you get the idea. I slid on my ass, bushwhacked alongside the trail, and moved as well as I could...until I rounded a curve and saw fast runner dude (Ryan K.) helping a girl down the mountain. Her name was Amber, and she'd rolled her ankle pretty bad. I did the right thing and stopped, and helped with getting her down the slippery descent. I'd thrown my cell phone into my CamelBak as an afterthought, and we pulled up the Race Director's number and called him to explain our situation. We arranged to have transportation meet us at the Diana's Baths area.
The next couple hours were us getting down to level ground, walking Amber to the bailout near the stream, and getting out. Friends Ryan and Kristina and a couple other runners met us and we hitched rides back to the start/finish, where I DNF'd, but for good reason. I'll be back next year, this race is badass and had far too few runners for what it was, which was, in the words of runner Tony, who I met at the start, "Everything the White Mountains has to offer in a race." 7 Sisters was a breeze compared to this race. Yes, I said it.
No soapbox moment here, but hey: people passed this runner, who was obviously in distress, and she was too polite to stop them during the race. If you see a runner who's slowed to a crawl, just a quick "How's it going?" may be enough for them to say "Not so hot." Then you stop and see if maybe they need help. All I'm saying...
Added bonus this year! Seth's headed up for the race as well. Gonna be a good time there, and maybe gonna hit up Moat Brewery for pre-race hydration! Can't wait...
Monday - 0.
Tuesday - 6-ish miles. Pequot Woods 3 before work, Lantern Hill 3-ish after work. My Garmin is acting like a rebellious teenage girl (I know, I have one!). I'm very sure I'm getting shorted on mileage, which means a much slower pace than I know I'm working at. Or I'm just getting fat and slow. Either scenario is possible. So on top of the mileage fuckery, at Lantern it was recording pace/time, but a zero for distance, and I had to hard reset it and use my goddamn phone. Glad I got the high-end model! 659' elevation gain.
Wednesday - 0 Miles. Nothing like a work-induced taper!
Thursday - 4 Miles. Easy Hewitt Farm trails.
Friday - 0 Miles.
Saturday - 0 Miles. Spent the morning checking out the NoSto Festival in town, then got on the road to New Hampshire. 4 hour drive.
Sunday - 14-ish miles. Kismet Cliff. Report to follow.
Wednesday - 0 Miles. Nothing like a work-induced taper!
Thursday - 4 Miles. Easy Hewitt Farm trails.
Friday - 0 Miles.
Saturday - 0 Miles. Spent the morning checking out the NoSto Festival in town, then got on the road to New Hampshire. 4 hour drive.
Sunday - 14-ish miles. Kismet Cliff. Report to follow.
Thursday, September 15, 2016
It's Gonna Hit the Fan: Upcoming Shit, Predictions, Whatnot...Week of 9-12 to 9-18
So in a little over a week, I'm gonna attempt a "Fall Trifecta," to complement my "Spring Trifecta." But this series of races comes with a bonus! The Kismet Cliff race is first. Beast of the East! Brutal! The following week is the Cat's Tail/Nipmuck double marathon, which I'm most apprehensive about. Sounded like a good idea at the time? I'm all in for the Cat, but I may withdraw from Nipmuck, as I'm trying to keep the waters smooth on the home front and my body intact for Ghost Train, and maybe open a spot for somebody else. The GT race will be uncharted territory, and I can't wait to see what unfolds, most likely me. So here are my predictions:
Kismet Cliff: I'll have a good race, and finish well, provided I'm still Lyme-free by next week and there are no damsels in distress at the top of the mountain this year! Last year I was over the top of North Moat before my watch died, and I pulled the plug on the race to help another runner. I did 8 miles in 3:02, in shitty weather and not feeling my best, with 3,700' of elevation gain last year. I plan to be well ahead of that this year, any sideways rain notwithstanding...
Cat: I plan to do exactly what I did last year, but I'll have a drop bag at mile 9 with dry clothes, I'll have a better attitude, and some knowledge to turn to. Last year I was doing well until I hit the mile 9 aid station. This year I'll be in a better place mentally. No quit.
Nipmuck: Jury is still out. I'll give it a shot if I think it's within the realm of possibility. I know the course, have done it three times, and it'll be gravy after the Cat. If I can still walk, and not piss off my family for being a ghost all weekend, then it's a go. Speaking of ghosts...
Ghost Train: Uncharted Territory. I have lots of things going in my favor though! It's an out/back race, which I do well at (I'm usually a solitary person, but I'm a social butterfly around others, much to the amusement of my wife and daughter...). I can control my clothing/fuel/food options. I have friends on the course, both running and volunteering, and my buddy John has offered to pace me for the tail end of the race, where I'll likely be bitching about every little thing...sorry in advance, John!
I wonder what the Vegas odds would look like on this....
Monday - 2.5 Miles. Long Pond beatdown. Short and sweet and technical, I hit the juicy bits of this trail, and a quicky after work. 700'+ elevation gain.
Tuesday - 3 Miles (Hike/Work). CT Forest & Parks workparty, to re-route part of the Narragansett Trail. When part of this trail was suddenly obliterated last Spring, I was really worried. Fear not, runners (and hikers)! A new and awesome stretch of trail is on its way, with the blessing of the landowners and assistance of several volunteers. We were able to clear, in 5 hours, a substantial amount of distance and create a trail from nothing, and the Narragansett is on its way to being made whole again. I can't wait! Next workparty in less than two weeks, where we'll finish making the trail and blaze it, and post cool signs about the heirloom pigs and cattle being raised there.
Wednesday - 0.
Thursday - 8 Miles. Lantern Hill repeats, prep for Kismet Cliff. Best and closest place to train for a race in the Whites, run to the top, run to the bottom, repeat! Felt awesome. 1500'+ elevation gain.
Friday - 4 Miles. Even more Lantern Hill! 1000'+ elevation gain and stopped to help some wayward hikers, more good technical climbing.
Saturday/Sunday - 0. Gonna be gone the next two weekends, figured it was a good time to wrap up some things at the house.
Kismet Cliff: I'll have a good race, and finish well, provided I'm still Lyme-free by next week and there are no damsels in distress at the top of the mountain this year! Last year I was over the top of North Moat before my watch died, and I pulled the plug on the race to help another runner. I did 8 miles in 3:02, in shitty weather and not feeling my best, with 3,700' of elevation gain last year. I plan to be well ahead of that this year, any sideways rain notwithstanding...
Cat: I plan to do exactly what I did last year, but I'll have a drop bag at mile 9 with dry clothes, I'll have a better attitude, and some knowledge to turn to. Last year I was doing well until I hit the mile 9 aid station. This year I'll be in a better place mentally. No quit.
Nipmuck: Jury is still out. I'll give it a shot if I think it's within the realm of possibility. I know the course, have done it three times, and it'll be gravy after the Cat. If I can still walk, and not piss off my family for being a ghost all weekend, then it's a go. Speaking of ghosts...
Ghost Train: Uncharted Territory. I have lots of things going in my favor though! It's an out/back race, which I do well at (I'm usually a solitary person, but I'm a social butterfly around others, much to the amusement of my wife and daughter...). I can control my clothing/fuel/food options. I have friends on the course, both running and volunteering, and my buddy John has offered to pace me for the tail end of the race, where I'll likely be bitching about every little thing...sorry in advance, John!
I wonder what the Vegas odds would look like on this....
Monday - 2.5 Miles. Long Pond beatdown. Short and sweet and technical, I hit the juicy bits of this trail, and a quicky after work. 700'+ elevation gain.
Tuesday - 3 Miles (Hike/Work). CT Forest & Parks workparty, to re-route part of the Narragansett Trail. When part of this trail was suddenly obliterated last Spring, I was really worried. Fear not, runners (and hikers)! A new and awesome stretch of trail is on its way, with the blessing of the landowners and assistance of several volunteers. We were able to clear, in 5 hours, a substantial amount of distance and create a trail from nothing, and the Narragansett is on its way to being made whole again. I can't wait! Next workparty in less than two weeks, where we'll finish making the trail and blaze it, and post cool signs about the heirloom pigs and cattle being raised there.
Wednesday - 0.
Thursday - 8 Miles. Lantern Hill repeats, prep for Kismet Cliff. Best and closest place to train for a race in the Whites, run to the top, run to the bottom, repeat! Felt awesome. 1500'+ elevation gain.
Friday - 4 Miles. Even more Lantern Hill! 1000'+ elevation gain and stopped to help some wayward hikers, more good technical climbing.
Saturday/Sunday - 0. Gonna be gone the next two weekends, figured it was a good time to wrap up some things at the house.
Friday, September 2, 2016
Still Summer, WTF!?! Week of 9-5 to 9-11
We had a brief glimmer of Fall, and then it went away. It's warm (hot) again, and forecast to hit 90+ by the end of the week. That said, I have three (well, four) races looming on the horizon, and my only plan at this point is to follow a structured training plan...um, no. Use one as a trainer for the next? Sure. Just like last time! A sketchy, technical mountain half marathon to train for a mountain full marathon a week later, with a trail marathon chaser the next day, three weeks before a 100? Yes, I'm an idiot. No, I can't help it. Am I gonna give it a shot? Yup! Because if I don't try, I'll never know if I could have pulled it off. I even started shopping for a tent, for Chrissakes!!!
Monday - 0 Miles. 100 Pushups. Labor Day and I didn't do a damn thing.
Tuesday - 0 Miles. 100 Pushups. Shitty weather. But hey! My copy of "Nowhere Near First" by Cory Reese came in, and I read half the damn thing in one sitting. Couldn't put it down, it's so well-written and entertaining! Great read!
Wednesday - 8 Miles. 3 on Champlin Trails before work, and 5 on Lantern Hill after work. Two-a-days? This was fun. I snuck in a short trail run near our current jobsite, quickly changed and worked until mid-afternoon, then hit up Lantern for a short Fiver with 900' of elevation gain on technical, slippery trails. Good Kismet Cliff training. I somehow managed to plow through a college geology field trip from ECSU about four times, with bewildered students trying to move off the trail, and the professor so engrossed in the rock he was holding that he almost clocked me with it (Cool dude, we chatted after his class/my run, me apologizing for interrupting his class, he apologizing for almost smashing my face with a chunk of quartz). Fun seeing a class full of students learning about the quartz deposits on Lantern, it's an awesome place! Glad I get to run there :) (100 pushups)
Thursday - 2.5 Miles - Champlin trails before work again. Another muggy morning, but I got something in before the day warmed up. Did the reverse route from the previous day, and finished with a shot at a short segment there, got it, and probably won't hold it for very long, given the local population ;) (100 pushups)
Friday - 2 Miles - Champlin trails (again!). - Well, hot damn. I finally figured out that I could definitely squeeze in a couple miles before work, change, be at the jobsite at a reasonable time and blah, blah, blah...and hey! 80-ish degrees and 1000% humidity, and I was happy to get something in before it hit 90+, which it did. Nothing like mixing tile mortar and cutting tile in the Sun!
Saturday - 3.4 Miles. - Long run of some sort...or not. Ultimately, the heat won out and I did another Lantern Hill run. It was pretty much all I had time for after lunch and a family outing to Whole Foods, which should be called "Wholly Shit, this Food's Expensive!" But I digress. Lantern was, again, hot and muggy and I couldn't stop sweating, changed shirts, gave up and ran without, and was generally a disgusting slob shuffling up and down the hills. Gross.
Sunday - Surftown spectating! This almost deserves its own writeup, given how much freakin' fun I had! I've run the Surftown 1/2 Marathon three times, but as I run down there enough, it doesn't make my race calendar. It's still a great place to run though! As I had several friends who were running, I decided to head down and cheer them on. I even got up at 5:30 to get ready, and I don't get up that early for just anyone! Got all my gear together, and left the house at 6:30 with my bike thrown in the truck, and a pump to inflate the tires. Saw Jeff V. on the drive down, so I pulled over to fill my tires and say hello. Wrong pump, shit. Jeff graciously offered me his only CO2 cartridge, but I didn't want to leave him hanging and declined. Worst case, I hit Benny's and buy a new pump. I found a soccer ball pump in my truck and fashioned a MacGyver inflator from a couple pieces, and managed to fill the tires until I could ride the damn thing. It's a great bike, I just never ride it.
Anyway, I got to the start right before the gun went off. The wind was whipping straight out of the West, and I could only imagine the Hell the runners were gonna face. Direct headwind, or oppressive humidity, take your pick. The runners took off, and after they left I found Tommy, who was running the 5k. We chatted, and I rode a ways up the course to watch the start. I also got to see the finish, where he was so far in front of the next runner, they weren't even in sight! Snapped a couple pics, then watched the Half Marathon leaders come through Misquamicut headed toward Watch Hill. Nobody looked thrilled. Saw Mike B., who said the headwind was brutal...
Headed out to Watch Hill! Got to Ocean House just as Jeff W. crested the hill, suffering but looking strong with two-ish miles to go. Met up with the WTAC cheering squad, and cheered our people onward and upward. I even joined a couple of friends (Faith, Antone) for the run up the hill!
I knew at some point I had to ride back to my truck, with my underinflated tires. Beth bailed me out by offering me the use of her bike pump, and got my tires to where they were supposed to be, from 40 psi to 110 psi. I'm a dummy, I know this, it's been firmly established already and I'm impervious to the looks! I never ride the bike! Gonna have to get it tuned up, it's supposed to have about 24 gears and I have One. 2nd/6th, whatever that is. 12th? I rode back along the race route in reverse, cheering on the back of the pack runners, who were all smiles and I got several thank yous and thumbs-ups. Great crowd! And yes, the bike was riding much better :)
Returned to the beach for a short stop at the afterparty, chatted with Jeff and a few others and hauled ass back to my truck. The bike was kind of fun! Not in a "I want to ride it every day" kind of way, just a nice supplement to all the other stuff I get to do. I was also able to easily access every part of a closed-off set of roads with no problem, which was very cool indeed! Fun morning!!!
Monday - 0 Miles. 100 Pushups. Labor Day and I didn't do a damn thing.
Tuesday - 0 Miles. 100 Pushups. Shitty weather. But hey! My copy of "Nowhere Near First" by Cory Reese came in, and I read half the damn thing in one sitting. Couldn't put it down, it's so well-written and entertaining! Great read!
Wednesday - 8 Miles. 3 on Champlin Trails before work, and 5 on Lantern Hill after work. Two-a-days? This was fun. I snuck in a short trail run near our current jobsite, quickly changed and worked until mid-afternoon, then hit up Lantern for a short Fiver with 900' of elevation gain on technical, slippery trails. Good Kismet Cliff training. I somehow managed to plow through a college geology field trip from ECSU about four times, with bewildered students trying to move off the trail, and the professor so engrossed in the rock he was holding that he almost clocked me with it (Cool dude, we chatted after his class/my run, me apologizing for interrupting his class, he apologizing for almost smashing my face with a chunk of quartz). Fun seeing a class full of students learning about the quartz deposits on Lantern, it's an awesome place! Glad I get to run there :) (100 pushups)
Thursday - 2.5 Miles - Champlin trails before work again. Another muggy morning, but I got something in before the day warmed up. Did the reverse route from the previous day, and finished with a shot at a short segment there, got it, and probably won't hold it for very long, given the local population ;) (100 pushups)
Friday - 2 Miles - Champlin trails (again!). - Well, hot damn. I finally figured out that I could definitely squeeze in a couple miles before work, change, be at the jobsite at a reasonable time and blah, blah, blah...and hey! 80-ish degrees and 1000% humidity, and I was happy to get something in before it hit 90+, which it did. Nothing like mixing tile mortar and cutting tile in the Sun!
Saturday - 3.4 Miles. - Long run of some sort...or not. Ultimately, the heat won out and I did another Lantern Hill run. It was pretty much all I had time for after lunch and a family outing to Whole Foods, which should be called "Wholly Shit, this Food's Expensive!" But I digress. Lantern was, again, hot and muggy and I couldn't stop sweating, changed shirts, gave up and ran without, and was generally a disgusting slob shuffling up and down the hills. Gross.
Sunday - Surftown spectating! This almost deserves its own writeup, given how much freakin' fun I had! I've run the Surftown 1/2 Marathon three times, but as I run down there enough, it doesn't make my race calendar. It's still a great place to run though! As I had several friends who were running, I decided to head down and cheer them on. I even got up at 5:30 to get ready, and I don't get up that early for just anyone! Got all my gear together, and left the house at 6:30 with my bike thrown in the truck, and a pump to inflate the tires. Saw Jeff V. on the drive down, so I pulled over to fill my tires and say hello. Wrong pump, shit. Jeff graciously offered me his only CO2 cartridge, but I didn't want to leave him hanging and declined. Worst case, I hit Benny's and buy a new pump. I found a soccer ball pump in my truck and fashioned a MacGyver inflator from a couple pieces, and managed to fill the tires until I could ride the damn thing. It's a great bike, I just never ride it.
Anyway, I got to the start right before the gun went off. The wind was whipping straight out of the West, and I could only imagine the Hell the runners were gonna face. Direct headwind, or oppressive humidity, take your pick. The runners took off, and after they left I found Tommy, who was running the 5k. We chatted, and I rode a ways up the course to watch the start. I also got to see the finish, where he was so far in front of the next runner, they weren't even in sight! Snapped a couple pics, then watched the Half Marathon leaders come through Misquamicut headed toward Watch Hill. Nobody looked thrilled. Saw Mike B., who said the headwind was brutal...
Headed out to Watch Hill! Got to Ocean House just as Jeff W. crested the hill, suffering but looking strong with two-ish miles to go. Met up with the WTAC cheering squad, and cheered our people onward and upward. I even joined a couple of friends (Faith, Antone) for the run up the hill!
I knew at some point I had to ride back to my truck, with my underinflated tires. Beth bailed me out by offering me the use of her bike pump, and got my tires to where they were supposed to be, from 40 psi to 110 psi. I'm a dummy, I know this, it's been firmly established already and I'm impervious to the looks! I never ride the bike! Gonna have to get it tuned up, it's supposed to have about 24 gears and I have One. 2nd/6th, whatever that is. 12th? I rode back along the race route in reverse, cheering on the back of the pack runners, who were all smiles and I got several thank yous and thumbs-ups. Great crowd! And yes, the bike was riding much better :)
Returned to the beach for a short stop at the afterparty, chatted with Jeff and a few others and hauled ass back to my truck. The bike was kind of fun! Not in a "I want to ride it every day" kind of way, just a nice supplement to all the other stuff I get to do. I was also able to easily access every part of a closed-off set of roads with no problem, which was very cool indeed! Fun morning!!!
Waves, Runs, and All Sorts of Fun Shit: Week of 8-29 to 9-4
Finally, some decent surf! Hurricane season kicked in with a vengeance, and just happened to coincide with the start of school (sorry, kids!). Waves aplenty on the horizon! I plan on getting in some early sessions before work if at all possible. Been too long...
Oh, and I'm in for Ghost Train!
Monday - 0.
Tuesday - 1.5 Hours/3+ Miles (Surf) - Hurricane Gaston surf session, K38/39. Got up early and headed to Matunuck, which was mobbed, apparently, as early as 5:30. Crazy. Instead of dealing with that nonsense, I hit one of my other favorite spots and it was firing, but without the crowds. Great session, got caught up with a few old friends, and was only a little late getting to work...
Wednesday - 0.
Thursday - 1.5 Hours/3.2 Miles (Surf), 4 Miles (Roads) - Matunuck Lunch Break. As soon as we hit a slow point at the current job site, I was able to take off for a couple hours and hit Matunuck, where I was greeted with light crowds, glassy waist-plus high waves, and at times, pouring rain. Perfection. Surfed for an hour and a half, then changed and went back to work. Now that's a lunch break! Got home late, and did a 4 mile out/back progression from the house. Added 100 pushups to kick off the "10,000 Pushup Challenge," which is 100 for 100 days, total of 10,000...only 99 to go!
Friday - 0 Miles. 100 pushups.
Saturday - 5+ Miles. Course Marking/Sweeping at the inaugural Wahaneeta 5k Trail Race, Westerly. Running around in the woods with friends, marking a new trail race course for runners, and no pressure to toe the line? Sounds good! I stuck to my self-imposed rule of not racing until Kismet, but still get to participate in race day. Perfect. Had a blast, and left feeling like I got a good workout anyway! And got a dog jog in with Henry after! And 100 pushups :)
Sunday - 10 Miles. Devil's Hopyard beatdown. Needed to do either a long road run from the house, or drive to a hilly trail for some vert...and duh, the trail/vert combo won out! Gorgeous day, and warm! Some of the trails are technical, some fairly benign, there's people everywhere, and I got to cool off afterward in a fantastic swimming hole at Chapman Falls. Awesome! And 100 pushups :)
Oh, and I'm in for Ghost Train!
Monday - 0.
Tuesday - 1.5 Hours/3+ Miles (Surf) - Hurricane Gaston surf session, K38/39. Got up early and headed to Matunuck, which was mobbed, apparently, as early as 5:30. Crazy. Instead of dealing with that nonsense, I hit one of my other favorite spots and it was firing, but without the crowds. Great session, got caught up with a few old friends, and was only a little late getting to work...
Wednesday - 0.
Thursday - 1.5 Hours/3.2 Miles (Surf), 4 Miles (Roads) - Matunuck Lunch Break. As soon as we hit a slow point at the current job site, I was able to take off for a couple hours and hit Matunuck, where I was greeted with light crowds, glassy waist-plus high waves, and at times, pouring rain. Perfection. Surfed for an hour and a half, then changed and went back to work. Now that's a lunch break! Got home late, and did a 4 mile out/back progression from the house. Added 100 pushups to kick off the "10,000 Pushup Challenge," which is 100 for 100 days, total of 10,000...only 99 to go!
Friday - 0 Miles. 100 pushups.
Saturday - 5+ Miles. Course Marking/Sweeping at the inaugural Wahaneeta 5k Trail Race, Westerly. Running around in the woods with friends, marking a new trail race course for runners, and no pressure to toe the line? Sounds good! I stuck to my self-imposed rule of not racing until Kismet, but still get to participate in race day. Perfect. Had a blast, and left feeling like I got a good workout anyway! And got a dog jog in with Henry after! And 100 pushups :)
Sunday - 10 Miles. Devil's Hopyard beatdown. Needed to do either a long road run from the house, or drive to a hilly trail for some vert...and duh, the trail/vert combo won out! Gorgeous day, and warm! Some of the trails are technical, some fairly benign, there's people everywhere, and I got to cool off afterward in a fantastic swimming hole at Chapman Falls. Awesome! And 100 pushups :)
Saturday, August 27, 2016
Getting Caught Up? 8-8 to 8-28
After the Run4Kerri, I really didn't do a whole lot until the last week or so. Between the heat, family obligations and my work schedule, I really had my motivation sucked out of me for a bit. I can run in heat or humidity, but the combination of both is really not enjoyable at all. But I really love to run, and where and when I have been able to, it's been memorable. The last week has been better, and I feel like the cooler temps are on their way. I need them to be on their way!
I've vowed to not do any races until the end of September. Gonna try to keep to that?
I'm up to #1 on the Ghost Train waitlist, so it's probable I'll get in, and it looks like ultra-badass runner and friend John Peabody has offered to pace me somewhere after 30 miles (TARC Rule #14), and before 100 miles...so Holy Shit..
8-8 - 3 Miles. Lantern Hill run w/Jim.
8-11 - 4 Miles. High Tide. I thought I could beat the heat after work and suffer through some high tide sand at Misquamicut, and I did, but it was a rough trade. The upside was cooling off in the Ocean after the run, very nice...
8-14 - 3.5 Miles. Heat Index Hill Repeats, Exeter. What do you do when the heat index is 104 degrees? Stupidly find a technical trail section or two and bang out hill repeats until you're borderline heat stroke. I even rolled ice cubes into a Buff to cool my neck, but they melted so fast it made little difference. HOT.
8-18 - 3 Miles. Castle Craig up/down. Just a short, painful climb and descent at Hubbard Park. Tons of people hunting Pokemon, including two thug kids who almost walked into my truck. Tense for a second, then comical as they turned and found the creature, danced around for a bit and left. Zombie apocalypse in Meriden!
8-21 - 12-ish Miles. - Pachaug State Forest. Back on track, in spite of the heat. I did a long loop that included Mt. Misery, returned to the truck to change fluid bottles, and did an up/over 2 more times and back to the truck. Still hot.
8-22 - 3+ Miles. Rocky Neck run w/Adam B. - One of our old friends Adam has gotten into road running the last few years, and is really interested in trails. I was on my way home and hit him up for a short run in East Lyme. Great time there, I even showed him the "Twisty" segment that I'm safeguarding for Chris G. until he gets back from CA (Ha!). Great trails there!
8-23 - 3 Miles. Narragansett Trail maintenance. I really needed to get out to one particular section of the NT, to clear/check the trail for ease of use. A couple of blowdowns, and some trimming back, now I just need to update some blazes and it's all good!
8-24 - 3.5 Miles. Bluff Point loop. I got crap for this (Thanks, Beth!), but I had a small window before I picked up my dog. I did push the pace a bit, and PR'd the loop in spite of the heat. I'm done with this fucking heat, by the way. Not enjoying it at all.
8-26 - 6 Miles. Newport, RI. Short vacation with Lori. I got up early, and ran down Bellevue past the mansions, until I reached the start of the Cliff Walk, which hugs the rocky RI coastline, and consists of dirt path, rocks, and paved footpath. Great run, although still very humid and warm...
8-27 - 8+ Miles. Newport, RI and Groton, CT. Early 5 mile beach/road/cliff walk run in Newport, with a cool NW breeze blowing. Humid but not terrible! Tried my hand at two segments: one, a short uphill which I did really well at until my hotel room key flew out of my handheld. I slowed down to make sure it was ok, finished the segment and then went back to retrieve it; the second, a longer Cliff Walk segment from Narragansett Ave. to the end by the beach, which I started slow and picked up the pace too slow to do really well on. Next time, but still fun!
I also had time for a few miles before I picked up our dog from day care, so I hit the trails at the Copp Park, where the dog park is. Good sweaty 3-mile run.
8-28 - 9+ Miles. Dog Jog, and sunset loop on local roads. Wife's birthday meant tailoring my run around the day's events, and I also wanted to wait for the heat to subside. Ran the dog for a bit, then set out for another 8 miles solo, which included a really nice sunset and quickly darkening roads. Good cruisy run!
I've vowed to not do any races until the end of September. Gonna try to keep to that?
I'm up to #1 on the Ghost Train waitlist, so it's probable I'll get in, and it looks like ultra-badass runner and friend John Peabody has offered to pace me somewhere after 30 miles (TARC Rule #14), and before 100 miles...so Holy Shit..
8-8 - 3 Miles. Lantern Hill run w/Jim.
8-11 - 4 Miles. High Tide. I thought I could beat the heat after work and suffer through some high tide sand at Misquamicut, and I did, but it was a rough trade. The upside was cooling off in the Ocean after the run, very nice...
8-14 - 3.5 Miles. Heat Index Hill Repeats, Exeter. What do you do when the heat index is 104 degrees? Stupidly find a technical trail section or two and bang out hill repeats until you're borderline heat stroke. I even rolled ice cubes into a Buff to cool my neck, but they melted so fast it made little difference. HOT.
8-18 - 3 Miles. Castle Craig up/down. Just a short, painful climb and descent at Hubbard Park. Tons of people hunting Pokemon, including two thug kids who almost walked into my truck. Tense for a second, then comical as they turned and found the creature, danced around for a bit and left. Zombie apocalypse in Meriden!
8-21 - 12-ish Miles. - Pachaug State Forest. Back on track, in spite of the heat. I did a long loop that included Mt. Misery, returned to the truck to change fluid bottles, and did an up/over 2 more times and back to the truck. Still hot.
8-22 - 3+ Miles. Rocky Neck run w/Adam B. - One of our old friends Adam has gotten into road running the last few years, and is really interested in trails. I was on my way home and hit him up for a short run in East Lyme. Great time there, I even showed him the "Twisty" segment that I'm safeguarding for Chris G. until he gets back from CA (Ha!). Great trails there!
8-23 - 3 Miles. Narragansett Trail maintenance. I really needed to get out to one particular section of the NT, to clear/check the trail for ease of use. A couple of blowdowns, and some trimming back, now I just need to update some blazes and it's all good!
8-24 - 3.5 Miles. Bluff Point loop. I got crap for this (Thanks, Beth!), but I had a small window before I picked up my dog. I did push the pace a bit, and PR'd the loop in spite of the heat. I'm done with this fucking heat, by the way. Not enjoying it at all.
8-26 - 6 Miles. Newport, RI. Short vacation with Lori. I got up early, and ran down Bellevue past the mansions, until I reached the start of the Cliff Walk, which hugs the rocky RI coastline, and consists of dirt path, rocks, and paved footpath. Great run, although still very humid and warm...
8-27 - 8+ Miles. Newport, RI and Groton, CT. Early 5 mile beach/road/cliff walk run in Newport, with a cool NW breeze blowing. Humid but not terrible! Tried my hand at two segments: one, a short uphill which I did really well at until my hotel room key flew out of my handheld. I slowed down to make sure it was ok, finished the segment and then went back to retrieve it; the second, a longer Cliff Walk segment from Narragansett Ave. to the end by the beach, which I started slow and picked up the pace too slow to do really well on. Next time, but still fun!
I also had time for a few miles before I picked up our dog from day care, so I hit the trails at the Copp Park, where the dog park is. Good sweaty 3-mile run.
8-28 - 9+ Miles. Dog Jog, and sunset loop on local roads. Wife's birthday meant tailoring my run around the day's events, and I also wanted to wait for the heat to subside. Ran the dog for a bit, then set out for another 8 miles solo, which included a really nice sunset and quickly darkening roads. Good cruisy run!
Thursday, August 11, 2016
15th Annual Run4Kerri 4 Mile Road Race
My favorite race. I'm a trail runner whose favorite day of the year is a road race on the first Sunday in August, go figure! The list is long about why that is:
1. My first race ever (I haven't missed one since!), and possibly the day I really started to enjoy running as more than just part of my overall fitness. It's so much more than that now...
2. It's put on by a great family, who lost a great kid, but turned a tragedy into a celebration of her life and a way to help others achieve their dreams. Kerri would be proud!
3. It's local! 30 minutes away, around the corner from one of my favorite surf breaks, and I have lots of friends who run the race!
4. One of the most popular races in Rhode Island, the Run4Kerri draws hundreds of runners, including some world-class elite runners (Hey! They're just like us! Just way faster!!!)
5. My rivalry with friend and TNT troublemaker George Ross, who talks as much shit as me and backs it up just a bit better...but more on that later;
6. It's an odd distance. Not 5k, not 10k, but 4 miles. And always hot!
7. It's also a good midsummer gauge of my fitness, before the weather starts to turn cooler (I hope!) and the long distance stuff of Fall begins to loom...
8. Probably more, but you get the idea! It's my favorite race. They know my name at packet pickup, and I'm still hoping for a bib one year that says "CRUTCH" (Ha!)
But I digress. Sunday morning I woke up, quietly gathered my things, made coffee, got ready to go, and...couldn't find my wallet. Shit. All my prep was shot, and I scrambled around the house looking for it, even waking Lori to see if maybe she hid it as a joke (she didn't). After 20 minutes of upturning everything, I finally found it under a pillow in the bedroom. Blaming the cats.
As with every year, I drive to Matunuck and there's a cool, refreshing breeze blowing, and I think "Wow, this is gonna be a great run! Nice and cool!" (And I'm always wrong.)
In the 45 minutes I had to spare, I managed to say hello to 50+ people, pick up my race bib, and run a warmup with "frenemy" George and a few of his peeps. Good stuff checking out the back end of the course as the temps suddenly rocketed upwards. Gonna be another hot one. There is, I will say, very little shade on the 4-mile course. It gets hot, and we all suffer together.
It's pretty cool seeing hundreds of runners squeeze into a small country side street for a race like this. I chatted briefly with a few folks, wished George luck, and we were off! George went out ahead of me and I fell in about 50 yards behind him. His pace basically mirrored what I was feeling for effort, and I stayed close but didn't close the gap. Or couldn't. We're damn close as far as road pace, and I just couldn't get closer...until the water stop at mile 3, top of the one small hill on the course. Caught him. Should have skipped the stop but I was dying at that point. So was George. We both stopped to get water, and I remarked "I think you've got me on this one..."
The finish was about what I expected: slightly slower than my course PR, and I gained on George right to the end, but he had me by three seconds! Close! The NET time was 0.08 seconds difference, holy crap! This was the "race within the race" that we were hoping for, and it didn't disappoint...
So my results were 29:36 for 4 miles, and I was 75th of nearly 400 runners? WTAC did really well, and Matthew cruised to 8th place overall in a stacked field. Jeff W. won his age group and Jeff V. came in 2nd.
Spent a bunch of time after the race chatting with friends, frenemies and total strangers, some really fast people and some first-time racers. I even won an award at the raffle! Three really nice technical t-shirts. Oh, and a finishers' medal? Why not!
After the awards, a bunch of us (mostly Turtles, myself, an NRA person or two, and NH 603 runner Leslie) headed over to the Mews Tavern for lunch and beers (they have 69 on tap), and post-race nonsense. I bought George a beer for his well-earned win. What a great time!!! I also finally got to try Tendril IPA from the Proclamation Ale Company out of West Kingston, RI - another great beer being brewed right here in Southern New England!
As always, I can't say enough about the Bessette family and the race they've put together. It's a great time in a pretty cool little beach town, and draws some great runners from all over. 8 years in a row for me! I'll call this one my "legacy" race, as it was a given from the first one that I'd never miss it. Until next year!
1. My first race ever (I haven't missed one since!), and possibly the day I really started to enjoy running as more than just part of my overall fitness. It's so much more than that now...
2. It's put on by a great family, who lost a great kid, but turned a tragedy into a celebration of her life and a way to help others achieve their dreams. Kerri would be proud!
3. It's local! 30 minutes away, around the corner from one of my favorite surf breaks, and I have lots of friends who run the race!
4. One of the most popular races in Rhode Island, the Run4Kerri draws hundreds of runners, including some world-class elite runners (Hey! They're just like us! Just way faster!!!)
5. My rivalry with friend and TNT troublemaker George Ross, who talks as much shit as me and backs it up just a bit better...but more on that later;
6. It's an odd distance. Not 5k, not 10k, but 4 miles. And always hot!
7. It's also a good midsummer gauge of my fitness, before the weather starts to turn cooler (I hope!) and the long distance stuff of Fall begins to loom...
8. Probably more, but you get the idea! It's my favorite race. They know my name at packet pickup, and I'm still hoping for a bib one year that says "CRUTCH" (Ha!)
But I digress. Sunday morning I woke up, quietly gathered my things, made coffee, got ready to go, and...couldn't find my wallet. Shit. All my prep was shot, and I scrambled around the house looking for it, even waking Lori to see if maybe she hid it as a joke (she didn't). After 20 minutes of upturning everything, I finally found it under a pillow in the bedroom. Blaming the cats.
As with every year, I drive to Matunuck and there's a cool, refreshing breeze blowing, and I think "Wow, this is gonna be a great run! Nice and cool!" (And I'm always wrong.)
In the 45 minutes I had to spare, I managed to say hello to 50+ people, pick up my race bib, and run a warmup with "frenemy" George and a few of his peeps. Good stuff checking out the back end of the course as the temps suddenly rocketed upwards. Gonna be another hot one. There is, I will say, very little shade on the 4-mile course. It gets hot, and we all suffer together.
It's pretty cool seeing hundreds of runners squeeze into a small country side street for a race like this. I chatted briefly with a few folks, wished George luck, and we were off! George went out ahead of me and I fell in about 50 yards behind him. His pace basically mirrored what I was feeling for effort, and I stayed close but didn't close the gap. Or couldn't. We're damn close as far as road pace, and I just couldn't get closer...until the water stop at mile 3, top of the one small hill on the course. Caught him. Should have skipped the stop but I was dying at that point. So was George. We both stopped to get water, and I remarked "I think you've got me on this one..."
The finish was about what I expected: slightly slower than my course PR, and I gained on George right to the end, but he had me by three seconds! Close! The NET time was 0.08 seconds difference, holy crap! This was the "race within the race" that we were hoping for, and it didn't disappoint...
Close, but not quite...3 second difference! Photo by Scott Mason.
So my results were 29:36 for 4 miles, and I was 75th of nearly 400 runners? WTAC did really well, and Matthew cruised to 8th place overall in a stacked field. Jeff W. won his age group and Jeff V. came in 2nd.
Spent a bunch of time after the race chatting with friends, frenemies and total strangers, some really fast people and some first-time racers. I even won an award at the raffle! Three really nice technical t-shirts. Oh, and a finishers' medal? Why not!
Post-race wings!
After the awards, a bunch of us (mostly Turtles, myself, an NRA person or two, and NH 603 runner Leslie) headed over to the Mews Tavern for lunch and beers (they have 69 on tap), and post-race nonsense. I bought George a beer for his well-earned win. What a great time!!! I also finally got to try Tendril IPA from the Proclamation Ale Company out of West Kingston, RI - another great beer being brewed right here in Southern New England!
As always, I can't say enough about the Bessette family and the race they've put together. It's a great time in a pretty cool little beach town, and draws some great runners from all over. 8 years in a row for me! I'll call this one my "legacy" race, as it was a given from the first one that I'd never miss it. Until next year!
Sunday, August 7, 2016
On deer flies, humidity, and total lack of a proper schedule: July 25-31 and August 1-7
Couple of good runs, and mostly work, has led to a slow couple of weeks on the running front. No excuses, no regrets, I dialed it back but I'm getting my workout carrying heavy equipment and jobsite waste during the day. On the race front, the Run 4 Kerri is on 8-7. My first race ever in 2009, and 8th in a row this year! Looking forward to it...
7-26 - 2.5 Miles. Green Falls run with an old friend. My friend from college, Mike Duffy, who I haven't seen in 20+ years, calls me to say he's on the East Coast and wants to meet up. This dude is super fit, and has been traveling the world with Cirque du Soleil as a performer. We had a great visit, during which he wanted to go for a trail run. Took him to Green Falls, where it was hot, humid and he got a taste of some New England terrain...I may have sold him on trail running! Or maybe not, jury is still out...
7-29 - 3 Miles. Pouring rain, and my boss calls to say he's running late...so I hit up Champlin Preserve for a few muddy miles, changed up and got back to the jobsite. Nice!
7-30 - 15 Miles. North/South trail bite with Claire and Ron. To say it was humid would be an understatement. I was able to wring the sweat out of my shirt twice, and lost several pounds, and drained my 50+ ounces of Tailwind, along with several other beverages coming and going from the run. We did a sizeable chunk of the N/S trail, and had a great conversation! Claire is a machine, too - I was feeling the weather sap my energy by the mile, and she showed no signs of slowing. Ron was not used to the distance, but was so fit he didn't seem fazed by it. Deer fly kill count of 25+ on my patch. You're welcome!
8-6 - 14 Miles. Groton X-Town trail (+extra mile). This patchwork of trails is comprised of 6 different nature preserves in the town of Groton, and with only one short road section. Very cool. I decided, after 5 days off, that I'd do the full out/back. The initial couple of miles are not marked at all, and as per my usual, I got turned around in Haley Farm, which is a spiderweb of awesome yet unmarked trails. Once I realized my mistake, I backtracked and decided to motor on. Got back on track and made the journey to Beebe Cove in Noank. Much of the first three and last three miles of the total out/back are very easy and runnable, with the exception being the Merritt Forest and Beebe Cove sections, which are quite technical in places. Cooler in the shade of the woods, but I still managed to drain 60 oz. of Tailwind in the 14 mile out/back. I think this trail, were it properly marked from end to end, would make for a great long run trainer, as it has a bit of everything...
8-7 - 15th Annual Run 4 Kerri road race. 29:36, #77 of ??? runners. My 8th installment of this race, separate writeup to follow.
On a side note, I've moved up to 32nd from 65th on the waitlist for the Ghost Train 100m...so...yikes!
7-26 - 2.5 Miles. Green Falls run with an old friend. My friend from college, Mike Duffy, who I haven't seen in 20+ years, calls me to say he's on the East Coast and wants to meet up. This dude is super fit, and has been traveling the world with Cirque du Soleil as a performer. We had a great visit, during which he wanted to go for a trail run. Took him to Green Falls, where it was hot, humid and he got a taste of some New England terrain...I may have sold him on trail running! Or maybe not, jury is still out...
7-29 - 3 Miles. Pouring rain, and my boss calls to say he's running late...so I hit up Champlin Preserve for a few muddy miles, changed up and got back to the jobsite. Nice!
7-30 - 15 Miles. North/South trail bite with Claire and Ron. To say it was humid would be an understatement. I was able to wring the sweat out of my shirt twice, and lost several pounds, and drained my 50+ ounces of Tailwind, along with several other beverages coming and going from the run. We did a sizeable chunk of the N/S trail, and had a great conversation! Claire is a machine, too - I was feeling the weather sap my energy by the mile, and she showed no signs of slowing. Ron was not used to the distance, but was so fit he didn't seem fazed by it. Deer fly kill count of 25+ on my patch. You're welcome!
8-6 - 14 Miles. Groton X-Town trail (+extra mile). This patchwork of trails is comprised of 6 different nature preserves in the town of Groton, and with only one short road section. Very cool. I decided, after 5 days off, that I'd do the full out/back. The initial couple of miles are not marked at all, and as per my usual, I got turned around in Haley Farm, which is a spiderweb of awesome yet unmarked trails. Once I realized my mistake, I backtracked and decided to motor on. Got back on track and made the journey to Beebe Cove in Noank. Much of the first three and last three miles of the total out/back are very easy and runnable, with the exception being the Merritt Forest and Beebe Cove sections, which are quite technical in places. Cooler in the shade of the woods, but I still managed to drain 60 oz. of Tailwind in the 14 mile out/back. I think this trail, were it properly marked from end to end, would make for a great long run trainer, as it has a bit of everything...
8-7 - 15th Annual Run 4 Kerri road race. 29:36, #77 of ??? runners. My 8th installment of this race, separate writeup to follow.
On a side note, I've moved up to 32nd from 65th on the waitlist for the Ghost Train 100m...so...yikes!
Thursday, July 21, 2016
In the Depths of the Dog Days: Week of 7-18 to 7-24
It's race week (again), and I'm off all week. Planning to grab a few miles, surf a bit, and get some things done at the house. The Run With the Beavers 10-mile trail race is this Saturday, and as always, it's a stacked field. I'm not surprised, either - Bob puts on a great event, and I try to make it to as many of them as I can. The forecast is for temps in the 80-90+ degree range all week, and hitting 92 on Saturday. Hmmm...
I also managed to sign myself up for another 50-miler, but it's not until 2017 so I'm not even thinking about any training plans or anything for it. Here's a picture from the course:
Monday - 0 Miles.
Tuesday - 7 Miles. Warmup miles and the Dogwatch Fun Run. Wait, what??? You made it to a fun run? I sense a disturbance in the force...
Wednesday - 4 Miles. Hot Lantern Hill Cruise. Did a double up and down, plus a couple hill repeats on the first climb. Hot. Sweaty. Summer. Love it.
Thursday - 0 Miles. Spent the day giving the VW (1966 13-window deluxe microbus) some love, getting her cleaned up and driving around a bit. Much to do, but she's looking good and getting some much-needed attention!
Friday - 0 Miles. More work on the bus, Hot out!
Saturday - 10 Miles. Run With The Beavers race. What a fun event, hosted by RD Bob Jackman and his team at A Better Pace, who put on an outstanding race. The forecast had the temps climbing into the low 90's during the day, and I figured a PR was gonna be out of the question. I loaded up a bunch of craft beer for swapping/gifting, and headed to Chapachet, RI. After running into a whole lot of people I was looking forward to seeing, I geared up and loaded up on bug spray, although that turned out to be unnecessary. Already hot in the sunlight at the 9 a.m. start. Decided to run with John P. today, as we rarely get a chance to run together and always have a great time. Racing sometimes takes a backseat to just being there, having a good time with friends, and enjoying the experience. Call it a perfect reason to get together! So John and I ran the whole 10 miles side by side, getting in at 2:06 officially just as the awards were being announced. Did some beer swapping and hanging out afterwards, and headed out. Big turnout at the race!!! Great to see lots of first time trail runners today, it's too much fun not to be shared. Next up? The Run 4 Kerri road race! George Ross, it's on!!!
Sunday - ?
I also managed to sign myself up for another 50-miler, but it's not until 2017 so I'm not even thinking about any training plans or anything for it. Here's a picture from the course:
Slot Canyons!
Monday - 0 Miles.
Tuesday - 7 Miles. Warmup miles and the Dogwatch Fun Run. Wait, what??? You made it to a fun run? I sense a disturbance in the force...
Wednesday - 4 Miles. Hot Lantern Hill Cruise. Did a double up and down, plus a couple hill repeats on the first climb. Hot. Sweaty. Summer. Love it.
Thursday - 0 Miles. Spent the day giving the VW (1966 13-window deluxe microbus) some love, getting her cleaned up and driving around a bit. Much to do, but she's looking good and getting some much-needed attention!
Almost road ready!
Friday - 0 Miles. More work on the bus, Hot out!
Saturday - 10 Miles. Run With The Beavers race. What a fun event, hosted by RD Bob Jackman and his team at A Better Pace, who put on an outstanding race. The forecast had the temps climbing into the low 90's during the day, and I figured a PR was gonna be out of the question. I loaded up a bunch of craft beer for swapping/gifting, and headed to Chapachet, RI. After running into a whole lot of people I was looking forward to seeing, I geared up and loaded up on bug spray, although that turned out to be unnecessary. Already hot in the sunlight at the 9 a.m. start. Decided to run with John P. today, as we rarely get a chance to run together and always have a great time. Racing sometimes takes a backseat to just being there, having a good time with friends, and enjoying the experience. Call it a perfect reason to get together! So John and I ran the whole 10 miles side by side, getting in at 2:06 officially just as the awards were being announced. Did some beer swapping and hanging out afterwards, and headed out. Big turnout at the race!!! Great to see lots of first time trail runners today, it's too much fun not to be shared. Next up? The Run 4 Kerri road race! George Ross, it's on!!!
Sunday - ?
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